title: The lin genes for γ-hexachlorocyclohexane degradation in Sphingomonas sp. MM-1 proved to be dispersed across multiple plasmids.
abstract: A γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH)-degrading bacterium, Sphingomonas sp. MM-1, was isolated from soil contaminated with HCH isomers. Cultivation of MM-1 in the presence of γ-HCH led to the detection of five γ-HCH metabolites, γ-pentachlorocyclohexene, 2,5-dichloro-2,5-cyclohexadiene-1,4-diol, 2,5-dichlorohydroquinone, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, and 2,5-dichlorophenol, strongly suggesting that MM-1 has the lin genes for γ-HCH degradation originally identified in the well-studied γ-HCH-degrading strain Sphingobium japonicum UT26. Southern blot, PCR amplification, and sequencing analyses indicated that MM-1 has seven lin genes for the conversion of γ-HCH to β-ketoadipate (six structural genes, linA to linF, and one regulatory gene, linR). MM-1 carried four plasmids, of 200, 50, 40, and 30 kb. Southern blot analysis revealed that all seven lin genes were dispersed across three of the four plasmids, and that IS6100, often found close to the lin genes, was present on all four plasmids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Michiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Michihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohtsubo
authors.forename: Ashwani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagata
mesh_terms: D000272:Adipates / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002722:Chlorobenzenes / Q000378:metabolism; D002733:Chlorophenols / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003511:Cyclohexanols / Q000378:metabolism; D053138:Cyclohexenes / Q000378:metabolism; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000378:metabolism*; D006873:Hydroquinones / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D020578:Sphingomonas / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C087473:2,5-dichloro-2,5-cyclohexadiene-1,4-diol; D000272:Adipates; D002722:Chlorobenzenes; D002733:Chlorophenols; D003511:Cyclohexanols; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D006873:Hydroquinones; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; C009947:1,2,4-trichlorobenzene; C027316:3-oxoadipic acid; C056892:2,5-dichlorophenol; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; C069879:2,5-dichlorohydroquinone